Stooi



(No Model.)

E. H. 'PQRSSELL.

v FOLDING STOOL.

.No. 361,279. Patented A pr. 1-9, 1887.

Jug

N4 PETERS. Fholo-ljlhngnphar, Walhingon. D. C.

' UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERIK H. FORSSELL, OF BRIDGEPOR'I, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANDREW ERIKSON, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING sTooL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,279, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed December .22, 1586. Serial No. 222,240. (No mo.lel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERIK H. FORSSELL, a subject of'the King of Sweden, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Stools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in re the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of stools that are adapted tobe fold ed up into very small compass and carried about by the person using 1 them, and has for its general objects to 'simplify, cheaper], and improve their construction-to produce, in brief, a cheap, light, and strong stool that may be quickly folded up or adjusted for use, and which will occupy but very little space in its folded condition.

With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel construction of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to indicate the several parts of the device.

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my improved stool opened out and adjusted for use; Fig. 2, a central section,one of the folding braces being removed; Fig. 3, a view showing the parts in the folded position, the top being broken away to show the manner in which the arms fold;.and Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the manner in which the de vice may be carried about when'not in use.

1 denotes the upper arms, and 2 the lower arms, of the folding braces. These braces are preferably made of wood, and their size is exaggerated in the drawings in order to show the construction of the stool more clearly. Three, four, or any suitable number of these braces may be used. I have shown four in the drawings, that being the preferable number for ordinary purposes. The arms of these braces are secured together, and the braces are secured to each other by hinges 3, as clearly shown. The exact construction of these hinges is not of the essence of my invention. Sep' arate hinges may be used; or, if preferred, the arms of the braces may be secured to each other and the whole secured together by a single compound hinge. It will be seen that the essential feature of this portion of my invention is that the upper arm of each brace shall drop down upon the lower arm when released, 5 and that all the braces shall close -i n upon each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

4 denotes the top of the stool, which is preferably made of carpet, or any strong textile material. \Vhen four braces are used the top is made square, as shown, .and is provided at the corners with rings 5, for attaching, and loops 6, for convenience in stretching the cover. In practice, one corner of the top is permanently secured to one of the upper arms, studs 8 being provided upon the other three arms, and rings at the other three corners of the top to engage the studs. This construc tion I have found preferable in use, although it is by no means essential, and studs may be 0 provided, ifpreferred, upon each of the upper arms of the braces, and corresponding rings at all the corners of the top.

7 denotes loops on opposite sides of the top for convenience in carrying the stool in the folded position.

9 denotes cords connected to rings 10, near the outer ends of the arms of the folding braces, and ll denotes cords, also connected to said rings and extending from the lower end of each lower arm diagonally across to the upper'end of each upper arm. These cords are preferably knotted together where they cross, as shown in the drawings.

12 denotes a stay-piece permanently secured to each lower arm near the bottom thereof, as shown. Cords may of course be substituted for this stay-piece, if preferred; but in practice I have found it desirable to use a stay-piece made of canvas or other strong textile ma- 9( terial.

As already stated, in practice the top is permanently secured to one of the upper arms for example, the one toward the frontas indicated in Fig. 1 at 13.

Theoperation of my improvedstool is as follows: To place it in condition for use, it is simply necessary to stretch the cover over and engage the rings 5 at the corners of the top with the corresponding studs at the tops of the upper arms of the braces. The stool is then in condition for use, and will support any weight that can reasonably be placed upon it. To fold the stool up, it is simply necessary to detach the three rings upon the top from their corresponding studs. The arms of the braces then drop together and fold up, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the top may be wrapped about them, forming a cover, one of the carrying-loops being passed through the other to hold the cover in position, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

It will, of course be understood that the details of construction may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of my invention.

1. A stool consisting, essentially, of braces hinged together at the center, each brace consisting of two arms also hinged together at the center, a stay-piece connecting the lower arms of said braces, and a top detachably secured to the upper arms thereof.

2. A stool consisting of braces having upper arms, 1, and lower arms, 2, the arms of said braces being hinged together at the eenterand adapted to fold back upon each other, and said braces being also hinged to each other at the center, so that they will fold together, and a top, 4, adapted to be secured to the upper arms of said braces when in the open position and to fold about said braces, forming a cover when in the closed position.

The braces consisting of upper arms, 1, and lower arms, 2, hinges 3, by which said braces are secured together and the arms are secured to each other, a stay-piece connecting the lower arms of said braces, a top detachably secured to the upper arms thereof, and cords connecting the arms of said braces together and connecting each brace with the other braces.

4. The braces consisting of folding arms 1 and 2, hinged together substantially as shown, in combination with a stay-piece connecting said lower arms, diagonal cords connecting said upper and lower arms, and a top having rings 5 and carrying-loops 7, said rings being adapted to engage studs 8 upon the upper arms when in the openposition, the whole top serving as a cover when the parts are in the closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ERIK H. FORSSELL.

W'itnesses:

A. M. Woos'rnia, O. PETERSON. 

